New York Times Profiles Annual Father-Daughter 'Purity Ball' In Colorado Springs

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 21 May 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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The New York Times on Monday profiled the ninth annual "Father-Daughter Purity Ball" in Colorado Springs, Colo., which was held on Friday to promote abstinence until marriage. According to the Times, it is not certain how many purity balls are held nationwide, but the Abstinence Clearinghouse says it sells hundreds of purity ball kits annually to groups in the U.S. and abroad.

The Colorado Springs purity ball -- organized by Randy Wilson, national director of church ministries for the Family Research Council, and his wife Lisa Wilson -- was attended by about 70 girls and their fathers from around the country. Unlike other purity balls, the girls at the Colorado Springs event did not have to pledge to remain abstinent until marriage, according to Amanda Robb -- a New York-based writer researching a book about the abstinence movement who was at the event.

At the gala, the 63 men in attendance read aloud a covenant "before God to cover [their] daughter as her authority and protection in the area of purity." The pledge indicated that the men would protect their daughters from the "hook-up culture" by setting an example and adhering to "evangelical ideals," the Times reports. Abstinence is not explicitly mentioned at the Colorado Springs purity ball, but a "litany" of fathers' duties is -- including making time to be involved in their daughters' lives, the Times reports. "It is a call to covenant, which basically says, 'I, as my daughter's father, will be a man of integrity and purity," Wilson said.

Some recent studies have found that close relationships between fathers and daughters can reduce the risk of early sexual activity among teenagers. However, other studies have found that most teens who make pledges to remain abstinent have sex before marriage and are also less likely to use condoms, compared with their peers who do not make pledges (Banerjee, New York Times, 5/19).

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